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Nicholas has tried his best to stay standing through the entire day. Despite the ache in his legs, he has stood and followed Noah. He must keep going. He has to be there to protect his beloved prince. He rides alongside him during hunts. He stands in a corner during meetings. Through all of it, he has remained standing, even when his legs ached so much that he felt close to collapsing at times. He keeps going for his beloved prince. He's grateful for the suit of armor hiding the pain on his face.
When the end of the day finally comes and Noah can retire to his chambers, Nicholas follows him as always. He takes up his position inside Noah's chambers and stares ahead as the servants bring water for Noah's nightly bath.
When the tub is filled up with warm water, the servants approach Noah to help him undress, but he dismisses them. He sits on his bed and Nicholas tries to keep his eyes forward, but can't help when his eyes are drawn over.
Noah takes his boots off and sets them aside. Nicholas looks away, expecting Noah to start undressing. Instead, though, Noah rises and heads over to him.
Nicholas remains at the wall, trying to maintain his composure as Noah comes closer.
Noah locks the doors to his chambers and then steps over in front of Nicholas. Beneath the cold steel of the armor, Nicholas's heart pounds. He feels Noah take one of his hands.
"You may rest now, Nicky." Noah whispers.
"I will rest later. After Joakim takes over for the night. I'll be okay. I-" Nicholas protests, but he falls silent when Noah gets even closer. His cheeks warm when the prince removes his helmet and their eyes meet. The taller man stands over him. Noah sets the helmet aside and plants a kiss on his forehead, his long hair falling forward like a warm blanket surrounding him.
"I can tell that you need rest, my dear. Let me take care of you. Just for tonight." Noah says softly. His eyes get even sweeter. "Please?" His warm hands cradle Nicholas's face and the knight feels his resolve fade.
Nicholas swallows and nods. "Uh…alright."
Noah leads him towards the bed and then peels every piece of armor off of him, laying each piece on a table nearby. The knight's body remains stiff even after Noah undresses him and leads him to the bath. He settles into the warmth of the water and still, remains on guard. His eyes instinctively keep looking around the room, ready for a threat.
He only begins to truly relax when Noah starts to wash him. The prince uses a towel for most of the dirt and grime, but once he's cleaner, he starts to massage his knight. The tension in Nicholas's body begins to melt away and his attention is now fully on his beloved. The prince's hair is pinned back and his sleeves are rolled up. He has a gentle, focused expression on his face as his soft hands rub across Nicholas's scarred skin. Every so often, his dark eyes flit up to meet Nicholas's lighter gaze. A small smile forms on Noah's face.
They're both quiet, until Noah moves to sit behind him and wash his hair. They make conversation and as time goes on, Nicholas starts to add less and less to it. His eyes close and he sinks into the warm water. He could almost fall asleep like this. The presence of Noah above him, the prince's long fingers massaging his scalp. The warmth of the water soothing his aching body.
Then he feels Noah's lips press against his forehead in a lingering kiss. Nicholas's eyes open as Noah whispers to him. "You have been such a dear companion to me through all of this." Noah murmurs. He plants kisses against Nicholas's skin between every few words. "My dear sweet knight. My protector. My love."
"My prince." Nicholas whispers back.
Noah leans down further and hugs his head, not caring when Nicholas's wet hair presses into his shirt and gets him wet. They remain like this, settled against each other and holding each other, until the water gets cold.
Later, when they're settled into bed, Noah sits up while Nicholas lays his head in his lap. Even now, after he's fully relaxed, the knight tries his best to stay awake for his prince, trying to slip back into the role of protector. They stare at each other. Noah stroking Nicholas's head with one hand while the other remains clasped between Nicholas's calloused hands.
"Sleep now, my dear knight." Noah whispers, pulling the blanket over Nicholas. "I'm safe." He moves his hand to run his fingers across Nicholas's stubble. "We're safe."
The knight's eyelids get even heavier and eventually, he allows himself to sink into sleep.